Wrapping Up 2018: Best Fiction

Although I won't hit 300 books this year (I'll be close- I'm at 293 right now with four days left), I have read a lot of fantastic books I can recommend to others.  I've split them up into three categories: fiction, non-fiction and YA/Middle grade.  

As it happens, the top ten fiction books I read this year were all published in 2018.  

1. Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - I loved the North Carolina setting of this story, the protagonist Kya Owens, who is called "Marsh Girl" by the community surrounding the natural marshes Kya grew up in and calls home.  There's suspense, romance, and beautiful writing in this novel.

2.  Vox by Christina Dalcher- this futuristic/dystopian novel isn't my normal reading fare, but the story is close enough to reality to get people thinking and talking.  Women in America have been silenced, allowed no more than 100 words a day, tracked by wristbands that deliver shocks if they exceed the amount.  And from there, restrictions on women grow stronger. 

3.  The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah- set in Alaska in the 70s, Leni's father moves them to the rugged Alaska frontier as a way of living off the grid after returning from Vietnam. Although this isn't as well received as Hannah's The Nightingale, I loved the setting and story.

4.  The Book of Essie by Meghan Maclean Weir- centered around Essie, the youngest child on the reality show Six for Hicks.  When Essie discovers she is pregnant, this doesn't fit into the show's message, since the family is extremely religious. And this doesn't look good for the future of their TV show, either.  There are secrets revealed as Essie's story is told, and I had a hard time putting this book down.

5.  Rush by Lisa Patton - I've read everything Patton's written and love her work. Rush is a fun story set on the Old Miss campus about sororities and college. And it is also a look at racism and the South and the sorority system.  

6.  A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza - centers around an Indian-American Muslim family who has gathered for their oldest daughter's wedding.  Mirza's story spans decades and provides each family member's perspective, eventually revealing why the son has had no contact with his family for years, but chooses his sister's wedding to return.

7.  Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry - I loved a good historical fiction novel about a lesser known figure from the past.  Henry's novel features the wife of CS Lewis, Joy Davidman, herself an established poet and author.  Learning about Davidman's life and how she was eventually married to CS Lewis, while providing snippets of his life story as well, fascinated me.  

8. How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson - long ago I read I Don't Know How She Does it by Pearson where I was introduced to Kate Reddy, a young mother, trying to keep too many balls in the air.  I loved meeting up with Kate again at a different stage in her life: older kids, stale marriage, trying to re-enter the workforce.  There's so much to laugh about in this novel, but there's also plenty of serious stuff, too. I hope Kate makes another appearance at some point in time.

9.  How To Walk Away by Katherine Center- I've been reading Center's work for years, and this is what I hope is her breakout novel where she is finally recognized for writing fantastic women's fiction.  Margaret's life goes from the fantastic high of getting engaged to the devastating love of experiencing a life-changing event all in the space of a few hours.  Left to recover in the hospital, Margaret has plenty of time to think and come to terms with her new reality.  And even in extreme sadness, there is still hope for the future.

10.  Need to Know by Karen Cleveland - I read this early in 2018, as did my husband. Despite the fact that we have fairly different reading tastes, we both really liked this book.  Vivian works for the CIA, trying to uncover Russian sleeper cells in the US.  With just a few clicks of her mouse, she discovers what is a career-changing breakthrough - but will also change her idyllic family life forever. This novel is suspenseful and full of secrets, and even after I turned the last page left me wondering.

There are certainly many other great novels that could have made my top 10 list, but these ten are ones I have thought about long after turning the last page and would press into the hands of many reader friends.  

What were your favorite fiction reads of 2018?